A Beer at the Green Dragon
by Emma Primrose
Summary: Frodo Baggins goes to the market in a Summer day and decides to have a beer at the Green Dragon, but an unexpected encounter awaits him.
1. Chapter 1

Frodo Baggins had never been interested in starting a family, he loved the company of a roaring fire and a good book, not to mention a good meal, just like his uncle Bilbo. Frodo was a solitary Hobbit, if you may say so, but he never disdained the company of his rowdy friends Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck.

That morning of high summer Bilbo commissioned him to go to the market. His uncle was old now and Frodo was always happy to help with the housework. So, after having the second breakfast, he went to the market. Frodo Baggins was a highly coveted bachelor, it was in fact known, among the Hobbits of the Shire, that his uncle Bilbo was a rich Hobbit and they were also convinced that Bag End was hiding all kinds of treasures, brought back by Bilbo from his long journey many years ago. All this annoyed the old Hobbit, but procured some hilarity in Frodo; it amused him to know that people thought he was rich and mysterious.

After completing his duties at the market, Frodo thought he would have deserved a good mug of beer, and so he went to the Green Dragon. Upon entering, immediately noticed a new face at the counter: a young Hobbit-lass with auburn hair was trying to serve many more customers she could in a very clumsy way, spilling around the contents of the jars that held out nervously to the patrons. Frodo wondered who she was and thought that it was probably one of her first days (if not the very first) at work as bartender.

Absorbed in his thoughts, he sat down at a table under the window, not too close to the entrance, he wanted to rest without being bothered. While he was trying to arrange the basket with the purchased vegetables under the table, a female voice asked: "Would you like to order anything?"

Frodo sat up so quickly that he struck his head against the table, and heard the same voice saying: "Forgive me, Mr. Frodo, I didn't mean to frighten you."

"Do not worry, it's my fault, I've been clumsy," he said.

Then suddenly he realized that the young Hobbit, previously spotted at the counter, stood in front of him smiling. Her curly hair was auburn, her face was covered by freckles and her eyes were a deep emerald green. Anyone would have been lost in those eyes...

"So, would you like to order anything to eat or drink?" Asked the young lady again.

"Oh yes, I'd like a cold beer, please..."

"... Aster."

"Pardon?"

"My name is Aster," said the young Hobbit smiling at him and then she disappeared again behind the counter.

After the initial surprise, Frodo found himself smiling and thinking that it was an unusual name among the Hobbits, but it sounded particularly good in his head.

Aster returned a moment later with a mug of beer, and instead placing it on the table and going away, she sat down in front of Frodo, as if they were old friends gathering to drink and chat. The latter looked at her puzzled, unable to utter a word, he had never witnessed such a boldness by the staff of the inn. While looking for something appropriate to say, the young lady asked, "So, I noticed that you have bought several things at the market, are you planning anything special?"

But before Frodo could answer, the owner of the inn shouted across the room: "Aster, back to the counter! How many times I have to say you to not let the customers await?"

"Well, it was a pleasure Mr. Frodo," said Aster "Good day!" And, before receiving an answer, she disappeared again behind the counter.

"Good day!" Said Frodo at his mug of beer, the only thing that remained at the table with him.

On his way to home, the Hobbit kept thinking about the odd encounter without being able to help but smile to himself.

The next day he'd return to the Green Dragon.

* * *

_**This is my very first fanfiction, I apologize in advance for any typos/mistakes. Please, review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Frodo Baggins returned to the Green Dragon on the following day, but Aster wasn't there. It was her day off. Too shy to ask the innkeeper if he knew where the young woman was, Frodo made his way at home, deeply dejected.

While he was walking through the road towards Bag End, he decided it would be nice to stop a little to read a book in the shade of a tree, it was a lovely summer day, after all. The air was cool and the birds merrily chirped. Frodo sat under his favorite tree, a little distant from the road. He was opening his book to the point where it was left, when a movement distracted him. He turned and unexpectedly spotted a smiling Aster, who greeted him.

She was sitting on a very colorful patchwork quilt, her hair was fluttering in the afternoon breeze, and her smile was genuine, cheerful, like the first time he had seen her.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Frodo!"

"Good afternoon, Aster!" said Frodo, getting up to go closer to her.

"Please, just call me Frodo. We don't need all this formality."

"Okay. So, Frodo, were you reading?"

"Yes, it's one of my favorite pastimes. I come here very often, it's a quiet place. But I never saw you here before."

"You're right, in fact it's my first time here. I usually sit at the riverbank to rest and read something, but today I wanted to change place."

Frodo wondered if this change had been voluntary. Maybe she knew that he would go there very often and so she had gone there in the hope of meeting him... _Do not be silly, Frodo, why would she want your company?_

"Why don't you sit down? There's enough space for both of us on this blanket. I also brought some snacks!"

"Gladly!"

Frodo sat next to Aster and the afternoon pleasantly passed between chatter and snacks. The two spoke about everything and anything, then Frodo asked Aster about her family, because it was so unusual that he had never met her before.

The young woman confided him that she had always lived with her father, since her mother had died in giving birth to her. They lived in a small village in the north, Scary, where her father worked as miner. But one day there had been a terrible accident at the mine, and her father had died, so Aster went to live at some relatives of her for a little. But she didn't like that life, and she wanted to become independent. So she left her relatives, and started working here and there in several inns of the Shire, until she arrived at the Green Dragon.

Frodo was moved to hear her sad story and thought that they had much more in common than he thought.

The sun was already setting and it was late, certainly Bilbo was wondering what had happened to Frodo. So he decided it was time to go, thanked Aster for the enjoyable afternoon spent together and went on his way. Suddenly he stopped, looked at his feet, unsure of what to do, and then he turned toward her.

"Aster!"

"Yes, Frodo?"

"Why don't you ...?" _Come on, you can do it._ "Why don't you come at Bag End for a cup of tea sometime?"

"I'd love to!"

"I could also show you all the books and maps of my uncle Bilbo, he loves this kind of things and jealously guarded them in his study, but he's always very happy to show them to visitors."

"Oh yes, it would be amazing!"

"So, see you soon."

"See you soon, Frodo."

Amazed at his sudden courage, Frodo was glad to have asked Aster to visit him every now and then, he enjoyed her company and he felt a special bond with her.

He ran towards Bag End, grinning. Surely Bilbo had cooked a tasty dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

Frodo Baggins was sitting on the bench in the garden with a book in his hand, as usual, but he didn't read. Many thoughts filled his head lately. Ever since Bilbo was gone, just after his birthday, he felt more and more alone. Many people was around him, but it didn't matter, he kept a secret that he had sworn to Gandalf to not reveal anyone. Frodo had to leave the Shire.

But there was someone who deserved to know, the one that was closest to his heart: Aster. He had asked her to have a cup of tea at Bag End that afternoon. He would have spoken, he would tell her everything and she would understand him, as always. Because that's how friends behave. Friends... Frodo had always suspected that his feelings towards her would be turned into something more than friendship, and so it was. Unfortunately, he never found the courage to come forward, to tell her what he felt for her, and now it was too late because he had to leave, and he knew, from his heart, that it would be a dangerous journey. He had never left the Shire before, but he had to do it, for his own good, for the good of everybody. He owed it to Bilbo.

Suddenly the air changed and Frodo smelled a delicate scent of apples, looked up and saw her. Aster walked up the path of Bag End, smiling, as always. Her hair was braided and adorned with a few flowers here and there, and Frodo couldn't help but wonder if she had dressed up for him. _Don't be silly,_ he told himself, _don't make the situation more complicated than it already is._

"Good afternoon, Frodo!"

"Good afternoon to you, Aster!"

"Were you reading?"

"What? Oh yeah, I was reading... But why don't we get inside? I'll prepare a good tea."

Frodo didn't dare to look at her for fear that she might catch some tinge of his sadness. They knew each other very well by now. It had been a long time since he had seen the young woman for the first time at the Green Dragon.

They sat in the living room with a tray of cookies and their cups of tea, and Frodo noticed that Aster looked worried, her eyes don't look peaceful as always. He didn't know where to start, and so they sat in silence for a while, sipping tea and enjoying cookies.

"Come on, do you have to talk me?" Snapped the girl at some point. She had tried to wait for him to say something first, but patience wasn't one of her strengths. She had to know.

At the beginning it wasn't easy, Frodo had no idea how to deal with the topic, so he began to talk about Bilbo and why he was gone. In the meantime, Gandalf's words were hammering his brain, he would have to shut up, but he couldn't do that to Aster, she deserved to know. Finally he told her everything he knew about the ring, its ancient power, and the danger that he would run in undertaking that journey.

When Frodo finished speaking, Aster remained silent for a few minutes.

"You have to go." She finally said, smiling as always, but her eyes remained expressionless that time.

The day of departure hadn't been established yet, but that night the two Hobbits gathered at the Green Dragon to have a beer together, perhaps the last one before who knows how long time. Frodo hoped to come back sometime in the Shire, but the fate is known to be unpredictable at times, and so they decided to spend one last night together before saying goodbye to each other.

Once out from the inn, they decided to take a walk along the river. Suddenly Aster took Frodo's hand and squeezed it.

"When you'll be back you'll have a lot of new and exciting stories to tell."

"I hope so." Said Frodo.

The sky was clear and starry, the moon shone white in the sky. Frodo and Aster embraced tightly, hoping that that wasn't a farewell.

* * *

_**Well, here ends my very first fanfiction. Probably someone would have liked to see Frodo and Aster blissfully in love, but I don't want to take too much distance from the original story, and then, who knows, maybe, once returned home after the War of the Ring, Frodo has found a happy Aster waiting for him... **_

_**Anyway, I want to thank those who have read (or will read) my short story. It has been a lovely adventure :)**_


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